


Victim of the Past

by nthngbutme



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Angst, Asexual Natasha Romanov, Beta Bruce Banner, Beta Natasha Romanov, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Childhood Friends, Classes Seen As Gender, F/M, Fluff, Gay Bucky Barnes, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Intersex, Intersex Bucky, M/M, Multi, Non-binary Wanda Maximoff, Omega Clint Barton, Pack Dynamics, Reunited and It Feels So Good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-02-28 18:31:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13277397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nthngbutme/pseuds/nthngbutme
Summary: Bucky stumbles into a sight with another wolf in the woods...For a reason unknown to him, Steve trusts Bucky and lets him into his life and pack. They (for the most part) welcome him with open arms, but is everything what it seems?Is Bucky not truly safe?Are his friends really his friends?And most importantly...Can he trust Steve?





	1. Strange Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm sorry in advance... This is just something I threw together at 3am the other day.  
> Con-Crit appreciated!
> 
> (Minor mention of self harm halfway through, fyi)

Noise.

Crashing and smashing of branches, and then the strong stink of Alpha.

The stench permeated the air, making it feel heavier as his lungs as he panted.

A growl echoed among the trees, and his flight or flight instincts jumped the gun. Or more specifically, the wolf.

As soon as he landed on top of the blonde-furred Alpha, he immediately decided that this was a bad idea. A very, VERY, bad idea. Even though he was not exactly a small wolf, this wolf was HUGE.

 **ABORT, ABORT, ABORT!** His mind screamed at him. But his claws were already in the blond's fur, and he was crouching on the Alpha's back.

A scuffle, some growls, and a few yelps later, he was on his back, laying in the dirt with the blond Alpha growling above him, pinning him to the forest floor.

"Who are you?" The Alpha snarled threateningly.

"Bucky," He panted out, chest heaving with the threat of death hanging over his head. Literally.

"What's your Class?" The Alpha bent his head as if trying to scent Bucky.

"I don't know."

* * *

Bucky's eyes silver-blue eyes looked sad, too sad for such a beautiful wolf, in Steve's opinion, and he knew not to pry.

"I'm Steve. I'm an--"

"Alpha. Yeah, I know. These woods  _reek_ of you."

Steve bristled momentarily at that. (He wasn't sure whether it was in indignation or pride.)

Steve climbed off of Bucky, helping him up with a nudge.

"So, where are you from?"

"Delta Phi Gamma of West Michigan. You?"

"I don't know. Somewhere in Oregon," He looked up at Steve and for some reason, those crystalline blue eyes made him want to tell Steve every last thing he knew. "I... uh... that's where I grew up at least..."

"Where'd you come from just now, then?"

"Tennessee, I think..."

"Where in Tennessee? We can get you back--"

The panic in both Bucky's eyes and his voice cut into Steve like his trusty old razor. "No, no, no, please don't make me go back there--"

"Okay, okay." Steve brushed up against Bucky, trying to comfort him. "Listen, how about this. I'll bring you back to our main camp, and we'll see if we can find your family or something, okay?"

Bucky felt like his heart had dropped into his stomach. "And if you can't find them? You'll kill me? One less rogue to worry about?" He sneered at Steve, snarling slightly.

"No." Steve answered the question carefully, attempting to keep as neutral of a tone as he could. "We'll have you go through training, and you can become a helpful member of society."

Bucky's stance and expression softened as he realized that Steve, with his strong, open face, actually _meant_  what he said.

"...Alright."

"Alright?"

"Yeah."

Steve smiled broadly before rearing up on his hind legs, bones cracking and joints popping as his muscles visibly moved under his skin, which looked like it was absorbing his fur.

Bucky stared in awe at the broad, toned (very proportional) human that before him.

"Um..." Bucky stared at him, looking (and feeling) rather daunted. "Am I supposed to..."

"Yeah," Steve nodded and gestured oddly. "C'mon, it's almost sundown."

"I, ah..." Bucky shook his fur self-consciously, as if trying to shake out water. "I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't?"

"I mean I am unable to! I know how to, I just--"

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Steve made a calming motion with his hands. "Just..." He sighed, running a large hand through his light blond hair. "You don't need to Shift, just make sure that when we do go through town that you don't make any movements that could be considered threatening. Most of the warriors could drop a wolf real quick with the right weapons."

Bucky grumbled, making Steve smiled sheepishly at him.


	2. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentioned domestic abuse (not explicit though)

As they walked through the town square, everyone who they passed smiled warmly at Steve and gave Bucky a respectful, if apprehensive, nod.

The fact that they were allowing a mysterious, unknown wolf to walk through the center of town purely because he was Steve? Yeah, that erased any and all ideas that Steve might be anything other than a kind-hearted Alfa or a caring higher-leveled Alpha.

"Uh, Steve?" Bucky stared at the redhead who was running up the road towards them. _Very quickly_  running.

"Yeah?" Steve didn't look at him, he just kept smiling and waving at people.

Bucky gestured with his snout at the girl as she got closer. "There's..." But it was too late. The girl jumped the last few yards, launching herself and landing in Steves' arms.

"Oof!" He grunted, surprised, before his face lit up and he hugged the girl tighter. "Hey, Nat,"

Bucky stopped and sat next to Steve's feet, feeling like one of those ancient domestic 'dogs' that humans kept as pets all those years ago. He kept his head down, his shoulders hunched, trying to look as submissive and unaggressive as possible.

He let his eyes flicker up to the Alpha (Alfa?) and the (clearly) Beta, which made his chest go inexplicably tight.

Eventually, Steve set 'Nat' down and introduced the two. "Nat, this is Bucky. I'm hoping to help him get back to his pack. Bucky?" Bucky met his eyes nervously. Steve smiled kindly, and somehow Bucky was so nervous anymore."This is Natasha, one of my Betas as Alfa."

So he was an Alfa.

"Zyumgieguemi Natasha." SHe smiled at him.

"Zyumgiegueorey Bucky." They exchanged traditional greetings and her face brightened for a moment.

"Where are you from in Oregon?"

Bucky ducked his head again. "I do not remember. I was taken away from my family when I was very young."

"I'm sorry." Natasha bowed her head in a sign of sorrow. "I know the feeling of having your life taken from you. I lost my father when I was very young, and my mother was always working, so the only real family I had was my friend's family. He left when we were about to start training." She paused and cleared her throat. "His family left shortly after that, and I was left to learn to fend for myself when my mother was killed soon thereafter."

"I am sorry." Bucky was careful, avoiding colloquial contractions that may be seen as rude.

"It's alright. We can share sob stories later. Now, though, we need to get you changed and cleaned up." She waved Steve off playfully. "This is a Beta's job, Steve. Bugger off." Steve pointed jokingly, but it melted into a heart-warming smile as he shuffled away.

Natasha smiled wistfully at his retreating back. "He's a good guy, he's just not the best at understanding every side of a situation sometimes." She glanced down at Bucky, noting his tight shoulders as a result of acting submissive. She dropped onto her hands, effortlessly Shifting. Bucky relaxed slightly, the relief tangibly coursing through him.

"You seem more comfortable in this form."

Bucky nodded.

Natasha shrugged and started moving through the streets. Bucky followed behind her, completely and utterly lost.

She pushed herself up into human form, unfazed by her bareness as she entered a building on her left. She snagged a robe off of a rack on the wall., wrapping it around herself and waving Bucky into the building.

"Yo, Clint," She hugged a man over the counter. She picked a file out of a folder beside him and started filling it out as Bucky stood there awkwardly.

"How old are you, Bucky?" Natasha asked without looking up.

"... um... 19." Bucky was startled by her seemingly sudden awareness. Bucky had an inkling that she was always aware, though.

"What's your last name?"

"Barnes," This time, Bucky was ready.

"Class?"

"Dunno."

This got a surprised look from both Natasha and Clint. Apparently, that was uncommon.

"Oregon, right?"

"Yeah."

"What were your parents' classes?"

"Ma was a Beta, and... Pa was a... Pa was an Alpha." Bucky wanted nothing more than to get home to his mother. His father though...

 _purple bruises_ , _shattered glass_ , _stifled_ _crying_

Bucky swallowed the lump in her throat and shook his head, dispelling the ugly thoughts.

Natasha scribbled a couple more things on the paper before filing it away and gesturing at Clint.

Clint pushing himself out of his chair, setting his book down.

He led Bucky down a hallway and down a flight of unsteady stairs. Bucky tried not to imagine what would happen if they gave out.

Clint stopped and gestured to a door marked ' **03a** '

"Here you go. Temporary home sweet home," The understanding was heavy enough under Clint sass that Bucky almost smiled. Almost.

Bucky thanked him quietly as Clint opened the door for him and led him to the... room? Suite, more like.

"Bathroom, bedroom, kitchenette, We'll bring you food though. Kinda like Room Service." He grinned. "We're gonna have my kid, the local Transiti come and help you Shift back. It's a lot easier to get around as a human, trust me. Xe'll be here in maybe... two hours? When you do figure it out, the robes are back there, and we'll take you to go get some better clothes than just what we have."

"I don't have--"

"Money? Not a problem. We're paying anyway."

Clint moved back towards the door, starting to close it behind him.

"Clint?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there... Is there any way you could find out what Class I am?"

Clint sighed. "Well..." He paused. "Not without a DNA test, technically." He saw Bucky's face start to fall. "But with my low-level understanding of genetics, the 'Class gene'," he used air quotes, "is determined by what your parents were. So because you had Alpha and Beta parents, your probably an Alpha or a Beta." His nostrils flared. "But I can't figure you out by scent." he shrugged. "I dunno. You can get tested when we go out tomorrow if you want?"

Bucky felt a wave of gratitude for this man wash over him again.

"Thanks, Clint."

"No problem. Come one up when you get the hang of Shifting. Or even if you need anything."

Bucky felt his mouth twitch into an involuntary grin. "Will do."

Clint grinned back before closing the door behind himself.

* * *

 

Bucky's ear popped up at the knock on his door.

"Come in," he barked."

The door opened tentatively. A not unattractive, clever-looking young person poked xyr head in.

"Are you Bucky?"

Bucky nodded.

The Transiti visibly relaxed as xe stepped into the room and closed the door behind xemself. "I'm Wanda."

Bucky noticed how xe didn't identify xemself with the formal introduction. He also noticed how xe had xyr hair in long, uncontrolled locks; the traditional style of the Northern Clans.

"Are you... "

"Yeah! I'm the local Transiti."

Xe moved towards him before stopping and gesturing at the ground in front of him. "May I?"

Bucky nodded, sitting up.

Xe sat down carefully in front of him, crossing xyr legs and studying him.

"So, are you ready to do this?"


	3. Somewhere Downtown

"Hi?" Bucky nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stood in front of the desk.

Clint sighed before setting down his book. "Can I help you?"

Bucky grinned a little. "Clint, it's me."

"Not funny, man. I don't know who you are."

Nat walked in with a cup of tea in her hand, looked Bucky up and down appreciatively and nodded, mumbling, "Hey, Bucky."

Clint gaped at her, then at Bucky, then at her, then back at Bucky.

"Holy shit!"

"Hi."

"Holy shit!" Clint breathed out heavily, almost disbelieving. "You're fucking... hot!"

At that, Bucky laughed. A deep, rich laugh that made Natasha snap her head up, reminded of her friend's father, all those years ago in podunk Oregon.

_warm fires, soft blankets, calm cabins_

"You're done already?"

"Yeah. Wanda already left. Didn't you see xym?"

Clint shook his head sheepishly, but there was a small little thankful smile on his lips (Bucky could only assume from the proper pronoun usage, which he had asked xym about, as he was curious).

Bucky rolled his eyes teasingly but smiled none-the-less.

There was a lull before Nat said, "So do you wanna go out the town now, then?"

Bucky just shrugged. "Hey, it's your town. I don't know it."

Clint and Natasha held a silent eye conference.

"Alright, come on Pretty Boy. We're putting you in a shirt and some sweats for the time being. No more robes."

Natasha hooked her arm through Bucky's, leading him back downstairs to his rooms.

"I don't... You don't..."

"I'm ace. Don't worry, not a creeper." Still, she turned around courteously.

He pulled on the baggy shirt and the sweatpants she had pulled out of one of the drawers unceremoniously.

"Okay. Let's go, then."

 

* * *

 

 

"So, where're we going?" Bucky bumped her hip with his own as they walked along the street.

"Tests or clothes first?"

"Which takes longer?"

"Tests, but you don't need to be there the entire time."

"Then let's go."

Nat steered them towards a squat-looking house next to a very large one (which was almost a mansion and had guards outside it --

Bucky was pretty sure it was Steve's place). She pushed open the door as they arrived, calling out dramatically, "Bruce, we got you a present!"

An intelligent-looking man poked his head out from behind a tower of books.

"A person ought not be a gift, Natasha."

"I know. It's a testing sample from said person. The person is also known as Bucky."

The man, Bruce, stood up and maneuvered through the passage between the stacks of books and sciencey-looking equipment. He walked towards Bucky, stretching out his hand in the gap between them.

"I'm Bruce Banner. West Ohio."

"Bucky Barnes. Oregon."

"Okay, now that that's over, let's start." He turned and, while walking back towards his desk, asked, "What're we testing today?"

"Class, blood type, the basic ones." Natasha answered for him, and Bucky was nudged into the maze of Bruce's lab(/house?).

 

* * *

 

 

A few blood-filled syringes lighter and a few shopping bags heavier, Bucky flopped onto the bed -- _his_  bed -- after bidding Natasha a good rest of the day.

He grinned up at the ceiling, still not fully used to the feeling of his new body, but feeling good none-the-less.

It had been a good day. Clint had joined them for lunch and then the three of them had gone out shopping for clothes for Bucky.

When they were done, they had shown around the village, introducing him to everyone, explaining who's who, and where's what (Bucky was right, the mansion was Steve's). Eventually, Bucky's social battery ran out, but Natasha picked up on the change in his energy immediately and suggested they head back.

 

And for the first time in over a decade, Bucky fell asleep with a smile on his face.


	4. Can't Keep My Mind Off of You

"Hey. Steve? Steve, man, you even listening?" Sam clapped his hands in front of Steve's face. "Hey!"

Steve was pulled out of thoughts of stormy grey eyes of a particular rogue and back to reality by the very real possibility of being slapped 'awake' by his friend.

"What?"

"Finally! What was going on up there? Got some pretty little Shifter fluttering around in your head?"

Steve smiled a little at Sam, grateful for the fact that he said 'Shifter' and not 'Omega'. Sam was one of the first people he had come out to, and he was very supportive of Steve as he continued to come out to others (Steve still wasn't entirely out yet).

Steve shook his head in answer to Sam's question. "It's nothing,"

It hurt him to lie to Sam like that, but he wasn't going to disclose his every thought to Sam, as much as he loved him.

Speaking of which, he should probably go check in on Bucky to see how he was--

"STEVEN!" Steve's eyes flew open. He didn't even realize he had closed them. Sam was frowning ever so slightly now. "Hey, go rest up man. You're not acting right. Fix whatever's screwing with you."

"Yeah, okay." Steve pushed himself out of his chair. "If you need anything--"

"Call you, yeah, I know."

Steve noticed Sam fidgeting with a square-shaped bulk in his pocket.

"Good luck," Steve called as he was halfway out the door. "Tell T'challa I said hi!"

T'challa was a neighboring Alfa of a (rather traditional, yet liberal) allied pack, Phi Roh Epsilon. He and Sam had been courting for a while, and to top off the minor hilarity of the situation, not two days prior had T'challa come to Steve to ask for Sam's hand in marriage. It would be interesting to see who would ask whom.

Three knocks pushed Bucky out of his mind and into reality.

"Who is it?" He called, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"It's me... Um, Steve, I mean." There was a nervous pause. "I was... Uh... I was just wondering if you were, y'know, settled in."

Bucky was already unlocking the door and opening it.

"Hey!"

"Hey, I-- Wow!"

Bucky pulled his robe tighter around himself, suddenly self-conscious about his new body.

"You look amazing!"

"Thanks," Bucky felt his cheeks go pink.

There was an awkward silence.

"So... Have you been out to the town yet?"

"Yeah, I... I actually need to head back out to Bruce's to get my blood results soon."

"Oh, I could go with you! Or... Uh... I mean, could I go with you?"

Steve's heart warmed at the sight of a half-smile slipping onto Bucky's face.

"'Course you can. It's the least I can do after you gave me a room and food and clothes. And, I mean, it's your territory anyway." He

tried to smile up at Steve, but he wasn't totally in control of his new body yet, so it didn't turn out so well. "I just gotta get dressed.

Do you wanna come in?"

Steve smiled a little awkwardly. "Nah, it's good, I won't take over your space."

Bucky, for some reason, found that both calming yet unnerving at the same time.

 

* * *

 

 

Bucky ripped open the thick manilla envelope that Bruce had given him as soon as he and Steve were sitting down in the little cafe.

Bucky heaved a thankful sigh at all of the **NEGATIVE** s next to the disease tests. He flipped to the next page and... **CLASS RESULT: ALPHA**

He stared at the paper almost in shock before glancing down the rest of the paper.

**UTERUS POSSESSION: POSITIVE**

Bucky dropped the paper and buried his head in his hands. One more thing to add onto the  _loooooooooooooooooooooong_ list of things for him to be discriminated against because of.

"Hey, Bucky? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I..." He looked up into the bright blue eyes, the ones belonging to the man that saved his life. No. He couldn't make Steve bear this burden. "'m fine. Just had a second there."

If Steve was known to be fraternizing with a mutant like Bucky, it would ruin his reputation, cause everybody to question kind of Alfa he was. That meant that no-one could know. _N_ _o-one_. He had to leave. Get away and save the only people that he might have actually learned to eventually care for. It was Oregon all over again.

_shrill screaming, flying slurs, flying fists_

"Bucky?" But for the time being, he had to act like it was alright.

"Yeah?" Bucky had to keep Steve safe from himself; meaning far, _far_ , away.

"What do you wanna do?" Steve pushed his empty plate away from the edge of the table and leaned back in his seat.

"Honestly?" Steve nodded in response. "I kinda wanna go back to my room and relax." He saw Steve deflate slightly before he rushed to say, "You can come too though! Netflix is always more fun with more people!" Shit. Those damn puppy dog eyes. So much for distancing himself.


	5. Reunited and It Feels So Good

"Bucky?" He heard Natasha knock twice as he fell back on his bed, his face in his hands.

"Yeah?"

"Are you-- Can I come in?"

"Yeah, 'f course."

"Are you alright? You seemed really stressed when you were saying goodbye to Steve."

"Yeah, I..." He tried to push up his good ol' façade, but it cracked and crumbled from nearly a decade of disuse. "No, no, no I'm not. God, I wish I were..." He babbled, tears starting to run down his face.

"What's wrong?" She closed to door behind her, rushing to support him as he slid off the bed and crumpled on the ground.

She froze as her eyes focussed on the huge, white, jagged scar across his back as his shirt rode up when he curled into a stress-induced ball.

"...James?" The name ghosted across her lips, a breath of disbelief. Bucky stilled before turning his head to see the pale woman at his side -- who was no longer a red-headed Beta, but a spitfire little Russian girl who was his reason for trying to get back to Oregon. 

But she was wasn't in Oregon anymore.

"Tal?" The single syllable was choked out past years and years of pain.

Then there were tears streaming down both of their faces, and they were clinging to each other desperately.

"I never thought I'd see you again," He pressed a kiss into her hair and squeezed her tight, not giving up the only thing he felt was home again.

 

* * *

 

 

They sat like that for a while, each basking in the company of the other.

Then a wave of dread washed over Bucky. He couldn't leave the only person (people?) he loved even for her (and his?) skate.

"Tal?"

"Yeah?"

"I... Uh... So, I... I got my results back today."

"Alright."

"Alright?"

"Yeah."

"Do you wanna know them or not?"

"If you don't wanna share, you don't have to."

Bucky squeezed her tight. "I feel like I should, though." He shivered. "Promise not to hate me?"

She pulled back with a concerned frown. "Of course I wouldn't hate you." She chuckled quietly a little. "After all, I just got you back, it's not like I'm gonna let you go anytime soon."

He smiled back nervously. 

"Alpha,"

"And?" She quieted her voice, if only to calm his nerves.

"Uteral-bearing." He whispered it like a secret.

"Okay." She squeezed her arms around his waist and he sat in shock.

"What?"

"Okay." She repeated herself again.

"No, I heard you the first time. What do you mean, 'Okay'?"

"I mean that it's perfectly okay to be non-cis nowadays. I particular, out pack has a very open view of sexuality and gender. Our people, our leaders," She paused and gave him a pointed look. "We don't really care who you love, as long as you're not hurting anyone."

"When you say 'sexuality', you mean..."

"Preferred partner when it comes to sex. Most are het, like an Alpha and an Omega, or a Beta and an Omega, or sometimes an Alpha and a Beta. Some are gay, like two Alphas, or two Betas, or two Omegas. Some people are bi or pan, depending upon preference." She paused to see if he understood what she was saying. "We only have one Alpha couple, a few Beta couples, and a few Omega couples in town, and obviously, I'm one of the few aces here. Anyway, we're really open-minded around here, unlike back in Oregon." 

There was a period of silence as Bucky simply absorbed that information. 

"By the way, with Steve--"

"You can tell, can't you?"

"...Yeah."

"Is it really all that obvious?"

"No, just me having excellent gaydar and knowing you both really well."

There were a couple of moments of silence before Bucky mumbled, "Good god, I missed you."

"Missed you too, Frosty."

Bucky groaned and shoved her playfully. "C'mon, that nickname again?"

 

 

* * *

 

When Bucky and Nat were only eleven years old, they decided that they were going to out alone on the iced-over lake to skate. Since Nat was a ballerina-in-training and Bucky was the pack-wide 'Children's and Teens' Ice Skating Champion', they had figured that they wouldn't need supervision when they skated.

Bucky had decided to try for a smooth 'toe loop' as Nat had called it, and he managed to break through the thin ice on his landing and splash into the nearly-freezing water. Once Nat had helped him out of the water, the fifteen-minute walk back to town was filled with Nat pointing out all the different ways that the frost grew in his hair and on his clothes.

Thus the nickname 'Frosty'.

 

* * *

 

 

Nat pressed her ear to his chest, his steady heartbeat calming her down even more. 

"So is it gonna be Tal and James or Nat and Bucky?" She murmured quietly to him.

"I mean, you're already Nat here, so that sums that up. I'll answer to both, so you can call me either one."

She shrugged. "I don't really care. I just figured that it'd be nice to make it easier for people."

Bucky pulled away to fake-pout at her, flopping on the floor dramatically. "But where's the fun in that?" He whined jokingly, with a grin pulling at his mouth.

"Whatever. Just promise me you'll talk to Steve? At some reasonably near point in the future?"

Bucky's grin faded into a fearful yet resigned grimace. "...Okay."

"I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to, but Steve's worried that something's wrong."

That instantly made Bucky regret everything that made Steve feel that way. No-one should ever be worried about him. Especially someone as kind and giving as Steve.

"Okay, yeah, I will," Bucky dropped his head into her lap and closed his eyes. He had a lot to sleep on.

 

* * *

 

 

And if Clint found them asleep on the floor cuddling that night, he never mentioned it (though he may have taken a picture).


End file.
